The 1,000-Piece Brand: Why Building Your Business Feels Like an Unsolvable Puzzle
My husband, Kevin, and I spent a snowy Sunday afternoon this weekend hunched over a new 1,000-piece puzzle. If you’ve ever tackled one, you know the kind of optimism that hits when you first empty the box. You see the alluring picture on the lid and think, this is going to be great.
Let the games begin.
The makings of a perfect Sunday afternoon.
Then you start building.
For us, the "threats" were everywhere. The pieces blended in with our table, making them vanish into the wood. As the early winter darkness set in, the overhead lighting cast a brutal glare. And our cats loomed like tiny, furry demolition machines ready to undo our progress… and sanity.
Eventually, my neck and back started to ache from the constant straining and it was past my bedtime.
We left the puzzle partially complete for another day.
Mid-build after the darkness settled in.
One missing edge piece…
We knew what the end result was supposed to look like, but in the thick of it, we couldn't find the missing pieces. I was sure they weren’t in the box and composed a not-so-pleasant letter to the manufacturer (in my head) while sifting hopelessly through the pieces.
Building a brand feels remarkably similar.
The Overwhelm of the Beginning
When you start a business or try to refresh your digital presence, you usually see the "big picture." You want to be seen as the expert you are. But when you look at the hundreds of tiny pieces — your website copy, your logo, your social media, your brand voice — it’s easy to feel paralyzed.
You might feel like you’re staring at a pile of cardboard that will never actually become a picture. The threats, distractions, and discouragement is real. You see what everyone else is doing on LinkedIn or Instagram, and suddenly your own pieces don't seem to fit and you can’t find what’s missing.
Fighting the Fatigue
Just like our puzzle, brand building doesn't happen overnight. It requires you to fight through the fatigue of making a thousand small decisions. There are moments when you want to just sweep the whole mess back into the box because the "pieces" of your story feel disjointed.
Maybe you’re a coach or a consultant who has the expertise but struggles to find the words to communicate it. Or a new real estate agent or financial professional who doesn’t know how to stand out in a crowded industry.
You feel the strain of trying to "see" your brand clearly when the lighting, marketplace noise, or threat of failure is working against you.
Finding the Fit
But the good news is, little by little, things can match the picture on the box.
You find the edge pieces first (your brand story)
Then you group the colors (design elements)
And they click into place (the website copy)
Eventually, you can see past the 1,000 individual pieces and start seeing the pieces that belong together. And they fit together beautifully.
Those "missing" pieces are usually right there. You just need a different vantage point, better visibility, and someone to do it with you. Unlike building a puzzle together, that “someone” is usually not your spouse…
At StoryMatters Creative, we specialize in helping you find all the pieces to complete your brand puzzle.
We use tools like the StoryBrand framework, behavior design, and years of professional writing to remove the overwhelm that makes your brand feel like a puzzle you can't solve. The pieces are there… I promise.
We aren't here to give you a quick-fix formula, because your story is unique. But we can help you sit down at the table, remove the overwhelm, and start clicking those pieces into place until the picture is finally complete.
Your Next Steps to Clarity
If you’re feeling a little sore trying to figure this out on your own, here are three steps to help you find the missing pieces:
1. Identify Your Glare and Distractions. Just as bad lighting can make every puzzle piece look the same, the noise of the marketplace can make your own unique story feel invisible. When you are constantly looking at what everyone else is doing, you lose sight of your own intended design.
Action Step: Write down three things that are currently overwhelming you in your business. Are they technical problems or human stories that just need clarification? Pick one to focus on this week and give yourself permission to ignore the rest.
2. Audit Your Inner Dialogue. We are often our own worst critics, repeating a negative script when things don't go perfectly. If you wouldn't say those words to a friend, you shouldn't be saying them to yourself. Relational marketing starts with how you relate to yourself.
Action Step: Pay attention to your self-talk when you look at your website or marketing materials. Replace one critical thought with a statement of truth about the expertise you bring to your clients.
3. Build a Fortress of Accountability. You were never meant to solve the puzzle of your business in total isolation. Trying to do everything yourself leads to paralysis. Finding a teammate or a coach can provide the different perspective you need to see where the pieces actually fit.
Action Step: Reach out to one trusted person this week—a colleague, a friend, or a coach. Share one specific goal you have for your brand and ask them to check in with you on your progress.
Eventually, we finished our puzzle. It took another full evening to complete it and despite my certainty the manufacturer left out pieces, everything was there.
Building the puzzle took time… and teamwork. And it was worth every minute.
1000 pieces found their home.
If you're ready to stop straining and finally see the big picture of your brand come together, let’s have a conversation.
StoryMatters can help you find the missing pieces of your brand story and make sure everything finally fits.
